Talk:Pitṛyāna: Rebirth as a Human Being

By Vishal Agarwal

This path is called ‘Pitriyāna’ and means ‘path of our elders’ because the person is taken to the realm of departed ancestors (Pitṛloka) before rebirth. In this case, the individual had performed many pious acts and also impious acts due to which their karma was in general ‘mixed’, i.e. neither too bad nor too good. Furthermore, their karma was motivated by a desire for fruit, and they were not aspiring for Moksha. In their new birth as a human being, they can again perform mixed karma with desires, or they can aspire for the next two paths.

Here are some inspired passages from the Upanishads:

When that passes away from them, they pass forth into this space, from space into air, from air into rain, from rain into the earth. Reaching the earth they become food. Again, they are offered in the fire of man. Hence they are born in the fire of women to go to other worlds. Thus do they rotate. Brihadāraṇyaka Upanishad 6.2.16

Having dwelt there as long as there is residue (of good works) they return by that course by which they came to space, from space into the air; and after having become the air they become the smoke; after having become smoke, they become mist. After having become mist they become cloud, after having become cloud he rains down. They are born here as rice and barley, herbs and trees, as sesame plants and beans. From thence, the release becomes extremely difficult for whoever eats the food and sows the seed he becomes like unto him. Chhāndogya Upanishad 5.10.5-6

The Upanishads describe this path in great detail and the image above describes it according to them. It is believed that when being reborn as a human being again, the person prefers to return to familiar surroundings like the same larger household, community, or country.